YoFresh Yogurt Café Opens in Montgomery, NJ

June 04, 2014 // Franchising.com // MONTGOMERY, NJ (Issued May 2014) - In early May - by a 52 to 8 vote - the New York Senate approved yogurt as the 'official state snack.' The bill was proposed by a fourth-grade class. At about the same time, as if in celebration of that vote, a new YoFresh Yogurt Café opened in Montgomery, NJ, at the Princeton North Shopping Center, 1225 State Rd. (Route 206).

Franchisees Sanjay Sharma and his wife Seema, long-time Princeton residents says their Yofresh Yogurt Cafe is a 'hot' destination for cool, healthy snacks or healthful meals at any time. They chose the store location for its proximity to the Princeton University campus as well as Montgomery High and Princeton High. Sanjay says, "We were lucky to find a great location in the heart of town next to the Princeton Fitness Center."

"We wanted to have our own food-related business – my wife is a great chef -- and since we are both vegetarians, yogurt is a natural fit," says Sanjay who moved his family to the U.S. from India 15 years ago. "When we visited Princeton for the first time five years ago, we fell in love with the town and Seema made a wish to have our children study at Princeton University. Today one son attends Yale, one is at Princeton. The community has been so wonderful and accepting of us, we wanted to give back," Sanjay says. They are buying fresh ingredients from local farms.

"Coming from a background with a focus on healthy body and mind through yoga, meditation and Ayurveda (natural medication), there could be nothing better than offering a healthy environment and healthy food to the community," Sanjay says.

"Delicious is an understatement," he says, pointing to a display of healthy self-serve frozen yogurt and a long list of topping choices. "There will always be at least 12 flavors, but every few weeks we will switch offerings so each visit will be new and exciting. Customers must come back regularly to try them all," he smiles. The menu also includes smoothies and soon, a juice bar, also using fresh ingredients from local farms.

The tasty flavors, infinite topping combinations, location, and a growing awareness of yogurt's healthy benefits are already putting this shop on the map. As a dairy product, yogurt provides protein plus such nutrients as calcium, vitamin B-2, vitamin B-12, potassium, and magnesium. Yogurt has been shown to prevent osteoporosis, may reduce the risk of heart attack, discourage yeast infections, and generally help you feel fuller.

Sharma says repeat customers promise to be his formula for success, returning for all-natural frozen yogurts including non-dairy, low fat, fat-free, gluten-free and sugar-free varieties. Part of the fun at YoFresh is how customers can dispense their own yogurt, scooping as much as they like, then choosing from 50 toppings such as fruits, nuts, sprinkles, cereals, candies, syrups and sauces. Using YoFresh's 'Weigh & Pay' formula, customers pay by the ounce. YoFresh calls it 'lots'o toppings.'

The YoFresh staff instructs customers on the art of designing their own creations. Offerings may be different on each visit, ranging from red velvet to cheesecake, salted caramel, sweet coconut, mango sorbet, etc. Customers can request a free flavor-tasting cup before ordering, "though it's impossible to get something you won't like," smiles Sharma.

The popularity of yogurt has grown due to its healthful attributes and celebrities who endorse it as part of their regular diet. TV host Dr. Mehmet Oz regularly extols the virtues of yogurt which he calls his "#1 super snack." Dr. Oz recommends eating six ounces of yogurt daily to attain enough probiotics that can boost the immune system.

On her website, Oprah Winfrey promotes yogurt as a favorite breakfast food that "energizes and revives," calling it one of her favorite "brain foods." Yogurt is rich in protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamins B6 and B12. Its active cultures may discourage infections. An article in O Magazine notes that people with a B12 deficit performed worse on tests of long-term memory.

YoFresh founder and CEO Chris Gregoris says, ""We are delighted to welcome our newest franchisee Sanjay and Seema Sharma to the YoFresh family. We're on a dramatic growth curve with some 30 stores in 9 states. New territories are available. We welcome inquiries from entrepreneurs interested in getting into the healthy, fun and lucrative frozen yogurt industry."

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